登陆注册
4616700000011

第11章

But the hypothesis of special creation is not only a mere specious mask for our ignorance; its existence in Biology marks the youth and imperfection of the science. For what is the history of every science but the history of the elimination of the notion of creative, or other interferences, with the natural order of the phenomena which are the subject-matter of that science? When Astronomy was young "the morning stars sang together for joy," and the planets were guided in their courses by celestial hands. Now, the harmony of the stars has resolved itself into gravitation according to the inverse squares of the distances, and the orbits of the planets are deducible from the laws of the forces which allow a schoolboy's stone to break a window. The lightning was the angel of the Lord; but it has pleased Providence, in these modern times, that science should make it the humble messenger of man, and we know that every flash that shimmers about the horizon on a summer's evening is determined by ascertainable conditions, and that its direction and brightness might, if our knowledge of these were great enough, have been calculated.

The solvency of great mercantile companies rests on the validity of the laws which have been ascertained to govern the seeming irregularity of that human life which the moralist bewails as the most uncertain of things; plague, pestilence, and famine are admitted, by all but fools, to be the natural result of causes for the most part fully within human control, and not the unavoidable tortures inflicted by wrathful Omnipotence upon His helpless handiwork.

Harmonious order governing eternally continuous progress--the web and woof of matter and force interweaving by slow degrees, without a broken thread, that veil which lies between us and the Infinite--that universe which alone we know or can know; such is the picture which science draws of the world, and in proportion as any part of that picture is in unison with the rest, so may we feel sure that it is rightly painted.

Shall Biology alone remain out of harmony with her sister sciences?

Such arguments against the hypothesis of the direct creation of species as these are plainly enough deducible from general considerations; but there are, in addition, phenomena exhibited by species themselves, and yet not so much a part of their very essence as to have required earlier mention, which are in the highest degree perplexing, if we adopt the popularly accepted hypothesis. Such are the facts of distribution in space and in time; the singular phenomena brought to light by the study of development; the structural relations of species upon which our systems of classification are founded; the great doctrines of philosophical anatomy, such as that of homology, or of the community of structural plan exhibited by large groups of species differing very widely in their habits and functions.

The species of animals which inhabit the sea on opposite sides of the isthmus of Panama are wholly distinct* the animals and plants which inhabit islands are commonly distinct from those of the neighbouring mainlands, and yet have a similarity of aspect.

[footnote] *Recent investigations tend to show that this statement is not strictly accurate.--1870.

The mammals of the latest tertiary epoch in the Old and New Worlds belong to the same genera, or family groups, as those which now inhabit the same great geographical area. The crocodilian reptiles which existed in the earliest secondary epoch were similar in general structure to those now living, but exhibit slight differences in their vertebrae, nasal passages, and one or two other points. The guinea-pig has teeth which are shed before it is born, and hence can never subserve the masticatory purpose for which they seem contrived, and, in like manner, the female dugong has tusks which never cut the gum. All the members of the same great group run through similar conditions in their development, and all their parts, in the adult state, are arranged according to the same plan. Man is more like a gorilla than a gorilla is like a lemur. Such are a few, taken at random, among the multitudes of similar facts which modern research has established; but when the student seeks for an explanation of them from the supporters of the received hypothesis of the origin of species, the reply he receives is, in substance, of Oriental simplicity and brevity--"Mashallah! it so pleases God!" There are different species on opposite sides of the isthmus of Panama, because they were created different on the two sides. The pliocene mammals are like the existing ones, because such was the plan of creation; and we find rudimental organs and similarity of plan, because it has pleased the Creator to set before Himself a "divine exemplar or archetype," and to copy it in His works; and somewhat ill, those who hold this view imply, in some of them. That such verbal hocus-pocus should be received as science will one day be regarded as evidence of the low state of intelligence in the nineteenth century, just as we amuse ourselves with the phraseology about Nature's abhorrence of a vacuum, wherewith Torricelli's compatriots were satisfied to explain the rise of water in a pump. And be it recollected that this sort of satisfaction works not only negative but positive ill, by discouraging inquiry, and so depriving man of the usufruct of one of the most fertile fields of his great patrimony, Nature.

同类推荐
  • 致沈曾植尺牍十九通

    致沈曾植尺牍十九通

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 高上玉皇本行集经

    高上玉皇本行集经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 佛说尼拘陀梵志经

    佛说尼拘陀梵志经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 穴道秘书

    穴道秘书

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 禹贡

    禹贡

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 抚摸台湾

    抚摸台湾

    时光匆匆,人生短暂。以往听人说此话,自己也随声附和,却是秋风过耳,如今方有了刻骨铭心的体会。今年1月正式退出政界,还原为从乡村出发时的布衣平民了。这不突然,2002年从繁忙的岗位淡出,离现在的退出就差一步了。干脆就将淡出变为退出,一心一意侍弄文字,用刻下的话说是和退出零距离了。如今看来,这零距离太关键了,不是关键在省略了退位的突然,而是那时就给了我回家的感觉,回家的自在。
  • 培养女儿上北大:一个普通家庭的教子经验

    培养女儿上北大:一个普通家庭的教子经验

    《培养女儿上北大》一书作者结合自己的成长经历、教育女儿的亲身体会,把家庭教育理念和儿童心理分析,用举例和自己孩子成长的故事轻松明快地呈现给读者,教你如何引导和培养出健康快乐优秀的好孩子,书中没有枯燥冗长的理论却隐藏着许多深刻的道理,可操作性非常强。
  • 傻女擒夫:邪魅太子毒宠妃

    傻女擒夫:邪魅太子毒宠妃

    温和端庄藏伪善、这是当朝太子。卖萌装纯秀可爱、这是本国玉王。冷硬腹黑摆臭脸、这是异国王子。太子当她是根草,亲爱的小皇叔伸出了邪恶小爪子:猫儿跟我走,有酒有肉还有人叫你一声皇婶婶。异国王子高调抢妻:女人,跟着我权倾天下,让你渣夫匍匐脚下,给你当奴儿。所有人都知她是痴傻没救的侯府大小姐,却想不到有天会变成张牙舞爪的母老虎。调教渣夫变忠犬、非礼正太做跟班,咦?那个摆臭脸的怎么看都像是一只禽兽。某女严肃脸:让爷教你知道凶残妖女是如何炼成的!
  • 大武魂时代

    大武魂时代

    地球位面洞开,异界灵气涌入地球,百年后的地球,灵气充盈,植被茂密,海洋、陆地上,妖兽盘踞。人类衍生出武魂,用武魂与妖兽作战。兽武魂、器武魂、植物武魂、特殊武魂,千奇百怪的武魂,焚天煮海的通天威能。这是一个波澜壮阔的大武魂时代!
  • 国家阴谋

    国家阴谋

    张笑天:吉林省文联名誉主席,一级作家。中共十六大、十七大代表;中共吉林省委决策咨询委员会委员;省劳动模范,连续四届省管优秀专家、高级专家;享受国务院特殊津贴;2005年,被国家授予优秀电影艺术家称号;是中组部直接联系管理专家。2009年在吉林省举办的建国六十周年评选中,荣膺“吉林骄傲人物”光荣称号。迄今为止,出版长篇小说15部,小说集、剧本集、散文随笔集18部,另有《张笑天文集》20卷出版。创作文字总量在1800万字以上。影视作品《开国大典》《重庆谈判》等多部、多次获得国内外大奖;中篇小说《前市委书记的白昼和夜晚》获第四届全国优秀中篇小说奖;
  • 缠龙冰心

    缠龙冰心

    她,柳伊冰冷酷无情,对敌人从不手下留情,冷、酷、狠,已经是在江湖上人人皆知的事情,可是让他想不到事,他的所有面具会为了一个男人而完全卸下……
  • 中国王朝内争实录:宠位厮杀

    中国王朝内争实录:宠位厮杀

    《中国王朝内争实录:宠位厮杀》从浩繁的历史记载中选出若干较有代表性或典型性的争宠的实例,采用以叙为主、夹叙夹议的形式,将历史上一些为争宠、弄宠、固宠而不择手段的史实介绍给读者,力图通过这种方式,来揭示封建制度下宫廷斗争的复杂性和残酷性,以及这些斗争给国家、社会带来的无尽灾难。目的是以史为鉴,以飨后人。
  • 末日风暴黑暗时代

    末日风暴黑暗时代

    诡异流星坠落北冰洋,人类与动物尽皆暴走。黑暗时代降临,人类!将何去何从?英雄们,握紧手中的刀,寻找光明!(本书讲求佛系,部分细节没有明确,望见谅。)
  • 苏青文集:散文卷(下)

    苏青文集:散文卷(下)

    “苏青文集”(6卷本)收录了现代知名中国女作家,小说家、散文家苏青具有代表性的作品。本卷收录了苏青的《发刊词》《读》《再版自序》《后记》等对自己各个文集的序与后记、对编辑杂志的体会与认识等,有助于读者深入了解苏青的为文之心。
  • 血证论

    血证论

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。